ABSTRACT
130The current status of accelerant analysis by GC/MS is critically assessed. The analytical methodology of laboratories involved in the analysis of suspect arson debris samples is statistically evaluated. Sample preparation procedures are briefly discussed, along with general instrumental methods of analysis. The main body of the chapter deals with GC/MS, as applied to petroleum-based fluids. The impact of interferences from synthetic polymers is illustrated with several examples. The reader is led though the interpretation of several cases involving the use of various accelerants. The need for quality control is emphasized. Approaches are shown to speed up data reduction, eventually leading to side-by-side comparison of the ion chromatograms of the sample to those of an accelerant library. Finally, aspects of automated analysis are introduced in the form of a GC/MS based expert system.
